Pay for your professional bodies’ memberships, FG tells staff  

Following the recommendation by the Presidential Committee on Salaries, the Federal government has washed its hands off the funding of Professional Bodies and Councils.

The move which is expected to take effect in 2024, will see Ministries, Departments, and Agencies coughing out monies to pay professional bodies for their staff.

There are at least 36 professional associations or councils in Nigeria that are funded by the federal government.

In a memo to the Registrar of the Nigerian Council of Food Science &Technology in the Federal Ministry of Science& Innovation, dated 26 June 2023 and signed by the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, titled ‘Discontinuation of funding of Professional Bodies and Councils from 2024 Budget, in line with the Decision of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS)’, said that beginning from 2024, there would no longer be budgetary provision for professional bodies.

“I wish to inform you that the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) at its 13th meeting approved the discontinuation of budgetary allocation for Professional Bodies/Councils effective 31st December 2023. 

“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to inform you that, in compliance with the PCS’s directive, the Office will no longer make budgetary provisions to your institution with effect from the above-stated date and, you will be regarded as a self-funded organisation. 

“For the avoidance of doubt, you will be required, effective 31st December 2023 to be fully responsible for your personal overhead and capital expenditure,” the memo read.

Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with NIGERIAN ANCHOR, economist, Friday Efih commended the action of the Federal Government as it was in line with the yearnings of Nigerians on the need to cut down on government expenditure.

According to Efih, the affiliation of any civil servant to any professional body should be their private business and not the responsibility of the government.

He said: “I am happy that the government is finally seeing the reason to cut waste. This was a big drain on the government purse. How can the Federal Government be paying for a civil servant who wants to belong to a professional body?

“Any civil servant that wants to belong to any professional body should pay from their pockets like every other Nigerian,” he said.